The Professor's Mate

Chapter Four

   "Would you feel more comfortable here or in my office?" Faragonda asked. Palladium shared a glance with  Akira. "Your office would probably be best, Headmistress. Akira and I will already be feeling protective over each other. It's better if we go somewhere that won't make us territorial as well," the professor replied. Faragonda nodded in agreement, turning to lead them to her office. As they walked through the school, several students gawked at the elves. It was no secret that a large number of the students and even some of the female staff members had been crushing on Professor Palladium. However, with the appearance of the professor's mate, most realized that they had never stood a chance. Elves only fall in love once in their lifetime, and will refuse to be mated to someone they don't love. If the white haired elf truly was Palladium's mate, no one else would ever have him. Faragonda wondered how Professor DuFour would react to the news. The etiquette professor had been trying to seduce Palladium for years. When she found out that he had a mate, perhaps she would finally move on. There was something about Akira that bothered Faragonda, though. Wasn't Akira the name of the Elf Princess? It certainly wasn't a common name. Besides, the silver headpiece Akira wore could certainly be a crown. At the very least, with the amount of silver jewelry she wore, Akira was born of nobility, if not royalty. It was hard to believe that the professor would be mated to the next Queen of the Elves, though. Faragonda was given no more time to ponder this, however, as they had reached the door to her office. Opening the door, the trio walked in, Palladium closing the door behind them. Faragonda took her seat behind the large desk, waving her hand at the two chairs across from her in an invitation to sit. The two elves cautiously approached, both waiting for any sign of danger to present itself. The fairy wondered if they were always like this around each other, or if it had to do with whatever caused Akira's sudden appearance. When the couple had sat down, Faragonda said,"First off, welcome to Alfea, Akira. I can only assume that, due to your sudden arrival and the pain Professor Palladium said to have felt through your bond, something terrible has befallen the Elven Kingdom. Am I correct?" Akira nodded. She glanced at her mate, silently asking how much the fairy knew and how much she could be trusted with. A subtle nod from Palladium told her that she could tell the fairy everything without fear of the consequences. "Might I ask what has happened to your people, Akira?" Faragonda asked. Rather than speaking, Akira closed her eyes. A light blue glow surrounded her body, and the room around them began to morph. "What is she doing?" the fairy asked, curious. Palladium, recognizing the magic his mate was using, responded,"She is showing us her memories."